Oh Mother
by Legacy Now
Summary: Wally's thanks for his mother's strength and courage. Sequel to "Just Like You".


**Oh Mother**

~*~

---

_She was so young with such innocent eyes  
She always dreamt of a fairytale life  
And all the things that your money can't buy  
She thought that he was a wonderful guy_

---

_10 years ago. _

Wally snuggled into the blanket as he sipped his cup of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. It was a long year filled with mid-terms and homework at school, and he was glad that it was the winter holidays. He tried to be a good kid, since he was in high school, and a bad record for him wouldn't look good for his future. He had to be good and smile no matter what happened. He had to for his mother.

"Hey, kiddo, you enjoying yourself?" a high strung Mary West came and joined him in the blankets, carrying her own cup of hot chocolate.

Wally smiled sleepily, and leaned on his mother's shoulder, taking in the peacefulness and tranquility of the atmosphere.

"Yeah..." he sighed happily. "Loving it!"

A long period of silence came. Wally glanced up to look at Mary and saw a partly healed scar on her brow. The smile on the teen's face turned into a frown. Mary couldn't help but notice her son's discontent.

"What's wrong, honey?" asked his mother. "It's Christmas, you should be happy!"

"Mom... what was dad like when you met him?"

---

_Then suddenly, things seemed to change  
It was the moment she took on his name  
He took his anger out on her face  
She kept all of her pain locked away_

---

"He... he was such a funny guy, Rudy... We met in college," began Mary, gazing into the fire with nostalgic eyes. "He was also handsome, back in the day. He was so good with people... I guess that was how people were attracted to him. Everyone seemed to like and approve of him."

Wally raised an eyebrow. He found the description hard to believe. How could someone so hilarious and outgoing turn out to be such a thug?

"We got married after we graduated from college," she continued. "It was the happiest day of my life... Me being married to the man I love, a true fantasy made into reality! Ha...! ... You're still thinking about the divorce are you?"

---

_It was the day that he turned on his kids  
That she knew she just had to leave him  
So many voices inside of her head  
Saying over and over and over  
"You deserve much more than this"_

---

Mary and Rudolph recently divorced a few months ago, and Wally was grateful that the separation occurred. Both wife and son couldn't put up with Rudolph's broken promises and abusive nature, and Mary had to put a stop to it.

Wally hung his head in embarrassment and sighed.

"I'm not gonna lie... I am."

"It's not your fault that he went bad," said Mary, holding her son affectionately. "He did lost his job when you were little, but that does not make it your fault, Wally! More than half of the people in the city lost their jobs!"

"I know!" breathed Wally, trying to maintain control of his bubbling anger. "It's just that... I hate him. I hate him so much!"

---

_She was so sick of believing the lies and trying to hide  
Covering the cuts and bruises  
So tired of defending her life, she could have died  
Fighting for the lives of her children_

---

"What he did to me... what he did to you, I..." stammered Wally. Tears began to form in his eyes. "It's completely unforgivable! Why couldn't I have stood up? You took so much crap from him, and I... I was strong enough, but... why didn't I do anything?!"

Rapid teardrops fell from his cheeks and Mary warmly embraced her son. She rocked him back and forth, try to calming down her son.

The mother then broke the silence, "you couldn't have changed him... I was his wife and I thought I could help him, but... he never did change. It's over, Wallace... It's over."

---

_Oh mother, we're stronger  
From all of the tears you have shed  
Oh mother, don't look back  
Cause he'll never hurt us again_

_So mother, I thank you  
For all that you've done and still do  
You got me, I got you  
Together we always pull through.  
We always pull through  
We always pull through  
Oh mother, oh mother, oh mother_

_All of your life you have spent  
Burying hurt and regret  
But mama, he'll never touch us again_

_For every time he tried to break you down  
Just remember who's still around  
It's over, and we're stronger  
And we'll never have to go back again_

---

Gently touching the scar on her brow, Wally closed his eyes as he remembered the glass bottle that was thrown on her face.

"If I ever see him again, I'm gonna kill him..."

He could hear Mary giggling as she patted his head affectionately. He felt a kiss being planted on his forehead.

"That won't be necessary."

"It's over, mom... It's over... Thank you."

---

_Oh mother, we're stronger  
From all of the tears you have shed  
Oh mother, don't look back  
Cause he'll never hurt us again_

_So mother, I thank you  
For all that you've done and still do  
You got me, I got you  
Together we always pull through  
We always pull through  
We always pull through_

---

_Present. _

"AHHH!"

Glass fell out of the cupboard, landing on the floor as it shattered into a million pieces.

"Eleanor!"

Wally ran into the kitchen, hoping that his wife was not in harms way. Blood was everywhere, reddening the glass shards on the floor. Eleanor had blood on her forehead, clasping the wound with her hand to keep it from leaking.

"Oh, no, are you okay?" he asked worriedly as he fetched medicine and bandages from another cupboard.

"I... I think so..." slurred Eleanor, feeling a tad shocked from the glass and blood.

"No, your not!" he exclaimed. "Be careful when you walk out of the glass, honey."

When they were sitting on the couch in the living room, he opened the packaging of the bandages and applying the medicine to the wound. After he carefully studied where Eleanor hurt herself, he realized that it was the same scars where his own mother was injured.

"You feel any better?" asked Wally as he cleaned up the scraps from the bandages.

"Yeah, I'm fine," nodded Eleanor, looking at her husband. "Wally, don't make a big deal out of it, it was just a small accident. I'm okay."

"O... okay..." slurred Wally, slightly embarrassed by his over done reactions.

As Wally dumped the scraps into the garbage, he closed his eyes and breathed in.

_I'm not gonna put her through what dad did to mom... I'll never harm her in a million years. _

---

~*~

_I love you, mom_

~*~


End file.
